Wang Si Niang knows of the Bamboo Grove Seven Sages, but she only knows the surface and not the essence. But Ji Yuan was already born at that time and experienced that period of deep silence and darkness.
Now, sheltered under Zhao Hanzhang’s wings, he can speak without fear of persecution by the court, so he dares to speak freely, "Back then, when the Sima clan usurped Wei, all the Bamboo Grove Seven Sages opposed the Sima clan, with Ji Kang and Ruan Ji being the most vocal,"
He said, "Emperor Wu broke promises and even executed the Son of Heaven in the streets, which was a great evil. Several of the Sages were very resentful but did not have power, so they could only use their writings to satirize the hypocrisy and deceit of the Sima family, which led to the death of Ji Kang and others."
Ji Yuan greatly admired such righteous men, as back then, the Sima family broke promises, acted shamelessly, yet demanded to be recognized as orthodox.
So many were killed at the time, that those who survived were as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to discuss important matters of the world.
And Ji Kang and others dared to speak righteously for former Wei despite Emperor Wu’s intimidation, and Ji Yuan greatly admired them. It’s a pity he was born many years later and couldn’t join them in merriment. Otherwise, the Bamboo Grove Seven Sages might not have remained seven.
Among the Seven Sages, Ji Yuan had the least respect for Wang Rong.
Ji Yuan did not conceal his disdain, sneering and saying, "This Wang Rong is stingy, with the strongest sense of self-interest. Some defend him by saying he lived in obscurity to safeguard himself. But with a high position and responsibility for talent selection and official appointments, he neither promoted men from humble backgrounds nor removed those with hollow reputations, lacking any backbone, constantly swaying with the times. Though alive, he might as well have died early."
"His reputation tainted the Seven Sages."
Zhao Hanzhang nodded, bringing the topic back, "Sir, where does Pei Dun’s daughter reside now?"
Ji Yuan glanced at her before saying, "She is probably on Three Queens Street, where some clan members of the Pei family are, and Pei Family’s Miss Pei is likely with them. With Pei Dun deceased, I don’t know if her brother is around; if he is, things may be easier, but if not, life could be difficult."
He hinted, "Not only was Wang Rong one of the Bamboo Grove Seven Sages, but he was also a minister of Great Jin, knowledgeable and renowned, so even in death, his influence remains, and no one would dare to propose marriage to Miss Pei."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "Who said I want Miss Pei to marry? Marriage is her freedom, and neither the deceased Wang Rong nor I have the authority to force her to marry or stay in the boudoir."
Humph, they fear Wang Rong’s influence so much they dare not wed her, perhaps she isn’t even interested in marrying them.
The next day, Zhao Hanzhang went out for a walk, eventually wandering to Three Queens Street.
She looked around and asked, "Is it named Three Queens Street just because it’s the third street down?"
Ting He nodded, "Yes, what does Miss wish to call it?"
She said, "If you dislike the name, you can change it directly."
Not an important street anyway, so if Zhao Hanzhang wants to change it, she has the authority.
Indifferent, Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand and asked, "Which gate does the Pei family live at?"
Before they left, Ting He had already asked around and said, "The whole back half of the street is occupied by the Pei clan."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang clicked her tongue, "So many?"
Ting He said, "But only two main households: one headed by Pei Lai, the other by Pei Lun. The rest are dependent clan members."
She said, "Even though housing prices in Luoyang are low now, not many can buy or rent houses. Pei Lai and Pei Lun paid to rent this half of the street for the clan’s survival."
Pointing to the crowd at the end, she said, "See, that’s the public well, where most washing are Pei family members, while the other side is the Shan Family."
Zhao Hanzhang nodded and scanned, then pointed to a grand-looking gate and said, "I’m thirsty, let’s knock and ask for water."
Ting He went ahead to knock, and after a while, a teenage boy opened the door and asked Ting He, "Miss, what do you need?"
Ting He pointed to Zhao Hanzhang and said, "My lady, passing through, feels thirsty and would like to ask for two bowls of water, would the young gentleman be willing to oblige?"
The teenage boy lazily glanced over, and upon seeing Zhao Hanzhang, he trembled all over, immediately opened the door wide, and rushed out past Ting He, his eyes glistening as he looked at her, "Is the lady thirsty? Please come in, we have good wine at home."
Ting He: "... We want water, who wants wine?"
Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help laughing, raised her hand and said, "No matter, wine’s fine too."
She looked the boy up and down and asked with a smile, "You look like you’re still studying, right?"
The boy answered affirmatively, leading Zhao Hanzhang inside while saying, "I’m currently studying at home, preparing for next year’s Imperial College exams."
Zhao Hanzhang nodded approvingly, "It’s good to have such ambition. What are you reading now?"
"Reading Laozi and Zhuangzi," the boy said. "My father said the Mountain Master at the Imperial College, Mr. Zhao, has a style like Laozi and Zhuangzi, so he told me to focus on reading them."
This is like students guessing exam questions, and in this era, exam candidates would ponder the preferences of their teachers.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Hanzhang laughed heartily and patted his shoulder, saying, "You must study well; the Imperial College draws from various schools of thought, just reading Laozi and Zhuangzi isn’t enough."
The boy agreed.
Happily leading her to the main hall, they passed several courtyards along the way. Zhao Hanzhang glanced sideways at one with its gate open, where several clotheslines were erected, with clothes drying on them.
Zhao Hanzhang, keen-eyed, noticed some clothes had patches.
In some courtyards, there were children’s cries and impatient scolding, "When asked to gather firewood with your cousins, why didn’t you? The weather is about to turn cold, and without firewood, do you want mother to freeze, or are you freezing yourself?"
"A real lazy bum, your father is lazy, and so are you. A family of lazy people all depending on me to support..."
The boy saw Zhao Hanzhang listening intently with ears perked and blushed, yelling toward the courtyard with cries and scolding, "Auntie Liu, I’m going to gather firewood later, how about letting Sheng Di come with me?"
The scolding in the courtyard paused, and a voice politely replied, "Thank you, Sanlang. When you leave later, do call him."
When the crying and scolding stopped, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Hanzhang asked him, "How many households live in this residence?"
Pei Sanlang chuckled, "Twelve households."
Which means more than one household lived in one courtyard, understandably causing such commotion.
Zhao Hanzhang smiled at him but felt a bit melancholic inside; it seems everyone’s lives aren’t easy.
"Returning survivors can reclaim their original houses if they still exist. Renting from the county government isn’t costly, so why are they all crowded together?"
Admiring Zhao Hanzhang immensely, the boy answered every question, saying, "Most people’s houses weren’t theirs; they used to rent or depend on the main branch. Once gone, upon return, everything had changed."
"Even though renting from the authorities is cheap, it requires scattered living. It’s better for a clan to live together for mutual support," the boy said. "If Luoyang were attacked again one day, we wouldn’t need to run around notifying each other; with clans living together, we can easily gather by packing up."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "...Wise foresight."
The boy beamed, "I think so too, and it was my father’s idea."
His father, hearing his voice from afar in the hall, frowned, "Sanlang, instead of reading in your room, why are you out again?"

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